Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Doctor: Tibet's Hepatitis B Infection Rates Soaring

An ethnic Tibetan doctor working in Nepal says the rate of Hepatitis B
infection is soaring in Tibet because of a lack of education and
vaccinations.

Dr. Lhamo Sharpa, a Nepal based Tibetan doctor, says 61 percent of
Tibetans living in Nepal are infected with the virus, which harms the
liver and can cause serious long term health problems in some people.

Dr. Lhamo, who directly works with researchers in Tibetan areas of
China, told VOA that rural Tibetans are especially vulnerable because of
a lack of access to proper vaccinations.